Power generating apparatus including a thermal prime mover



Jan; 1968 z. M. SHAPIRO 3,366,865

POWER GENERATING APPARATUS INCLUDING A THERMAL PRIME MOVER v OriginalFiled June s, 1963 Y FIG.|

HEAT INSULATION coo LER F|G.2-

HEATER V77 ei FIG.3 I3

2 HEATER I03 HEATER United States Patent 4 Claims. (Cl. 32061) ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE Generating apparatus in which the prime mover is abimetallic element (15, FIGS. 1 and 4) which moves back and forthbetween a heater and a cooler and produces pulses of mechanical energy.These pulses are stored in a capacitor (27, FIG. 1) or a spring (91,FIG. 4) and thus converted into energy available continuously (FIG. 1)or to produce uniform mechanical movement (FIG. 4).

This application is a division of application Ser. No. 285,106, filedJune 3, 1963, to Zalman Shapiro for Power Generating Apparatus.

This invention relates to power generation and has particularrelationship to the generation of power for use 'in areas where thereare not power facilities available. It

is an object of this invention to provide generating apparatus of simpleand reliable structure and operation which shall avail adequate powerfor such areas.

Such power generating apparatus in accordance with the teachings of theprior art depends on the thermoelectric elfect for its operation.Heating means, typically a radioactive or fissionable source, and a heatsink or cooling means, typically water, ice or snow in the area areprovided. The hot junction of a thermopile is subjected to the heatingmeans and the cold junction to the cooling means and an attempt is madeto use the output of he pile. This apparaus has the disadvantage thatthe output voltage of each thermocouple is small and its resistance ishigh so that the power available is limited. Reduction of the resistanceof the couples demands that the generating apparatus be bulky andexcessively costly.

It is then an object of this invention to overcome the difiiculties ofthe prior art. Another object of this invention is to provide reliable,adequate power generating appartus of relatively low cost, particularlyfor areas having no power-supply facilities.

In accordance with the parent application, electrical power is derivedpreferably by magnetic induction from the movement of athermally-actuable means, such as a bimetallic element, subjected to aheat source and a heat sink. The thermally-actuable means is mounted tomove between the source and the sink between a position in which it isin heat-exchange relationship with the source and a position in which itis in heat-exchange relationship with the sink. An important feature ofthe invention of the parent application is that the thermally-actuablemeans is snap-acting so that the movement producing the magneticinduction has a high velocity and high voltages are induced.

The movement of the thermally-actuable means produces impulses ofalternating polarity at irregular intervals. In accordance with theinvention of this application, the impulses are supplied to storagemeans, for example a capacitor. The capacitor is charged through arectifier and may charge a battery. Further, the energy of movement ofthe thermally-actuable means is stored in a 3,366,865 Patented Jan. 30,1968 ice spring. The spring is connected to produce continuous rotationof a rotor of a generator through an escapement.

For a better understanding of this invention both as to its organizationand as to its method of operation, together with additional objects andadvantages thereof, reference is made to the following description ofspecific embodiments taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,in which:

FIGURE 1 is a drawing partly diagrammatic and partly schematic showing apreferred embodiment of this invention; and

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are similar drawings showing modifications of thisinvention,

The apparatus shown in FIG. 1 includes a heater 11 and a cooler 13. Theheater 11 may be of the type including a radioactive or fissionableisotope such as Pu sunlight, fire or the like. The cooler 13 may be air,water or ice available in the neighborhood of the apparatus or any otherheat absorbing medium.

This apparatus also includes a snap-type bimetal 15. The bimetal 15 ismovable between a position in which it is in good heat-exchangerelationship with the surface 17 of the heater 11 and a position inwhich it is in good heat-exchange relationship with the surface 19 of hcooler 13. The bimetal 15 carries a rod 21 from which a magnet 23 issuspended. The magnet 23 should be of a material capable of producinghigh magnetic flux.

When the bimetal 15 is in heat-exchange relationship with the heater 11,it is heated and ultimately snaps to the position in which it is inheat-exchange relationship with the cooler 13. Here it is cooled andultimately snaps back. As the bimetal 15 snaps back and forth, it movesthe magnet 23 back and forth. The magnet is mounted to move through acoil 25 so that its magnetic lines of force are cut by the coil.Alternating current is then induced in the coil 25.

The positions of the coil 25 and magnet 23 may be reversed. The rod 21may carry the coil back and forth in the field of a fixed magnet. Thecoil may be connected to brushes or flexible wire for deriving power.

The apparatus includes a capacitor 27 and a rectifier 29. The capacitor27 is connected to be charged by the alternating current from the coil25 through the rectiher 29.

The apparatus also includes a storage battery 31 from which a load 33 issupplied.

The capacitor 27 is connected to charge the battery 31 through aregulator 35. The regulator 35 may be of any suitable type. For example,it may be of the relay type presently used in automobiles or of thesemiconductor or electronic type including the usual transistor orcontrolled-silicon rectifiers or electronic-tube regulating circuits.

To prevent the capacitor voltage from becoming excessive a regulatortube (or tubes) 37 may be connected through a protective resistor 39across the capacitor 27.

In the use of the apparatus capacitor 27 is charged by the alternatingcurrent produced by the movement of the bimetal 15 and maintains thebattery 31 charged for use at all times.

In the apparatus shown in FIG. 2, the bimetal 41 is of the ordinaryflexing type. This bimetal 41 is mounted in intimate heat-exchangerelationship between a heater 43 and a cooler 45. The free end of thebimetal 41 is connected to snap a toggle link 47 from one of itspositions to the other as the bimetal moves from heat-exchangerelationship with the heater 43 to the heat-exchange relationship withthe cooler 45. The toggle link 47 is connected to move a magnet 49 inand out of a coil 51. The output of the coil is supplied through arectifier 53 to charge capacitor 55. The capacitor 55 may be connected 3to a storage'battery 57 in the same manner as capacitor 27.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 3 includes a heater 11 and a cooler 13 and abimetallic element 15 of the snap type as shown in FIG. 1 cooperativewith heating surface 17 and cooling surface 19. This apparatus alsoincludes a tuning fork 61 fixed at the handle and carrying a magnet 63suspended from its tips. A bar 65 extends from the bimetallic element15. This bar carries buttons 67 and 69. Each button 67 and 69 extendsfrom a stud 71 having a flange 73 at its end. The button is heldretracted in the tip of the rod from which it is suspended by a spring75.

On the abrupt movement of the element 15 one button 67 or 69 ismomentarily projected against the fork 61 to cause it to vibrate. Button67 strikes one arm of the fork when the element 15 moves from the cooler13 to the heater 11 and button 69 strikes the fork 61 when the element15 moves in the opposite direction. In each case the button is retractedinto the corresponding end of the rod 65 after it strikes and does notdamp the vibrations of the fork. The frequency of operation of theelement 15 may be set at a sub-multiple of the frequency of the fork 61so that the amplitude of vibration of the fork is maximized.

The poles of the magnet 63 are coupled to coils 77 and 79 and inducecurrent in the coils. The coils 77 and 79 are connected in additiverelationship to the load 81.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 4 includes a heater 11, a cooler 13 and abimetallic element 15 similar to that of FIG. 1. The element 15 isprovided with a rod 83 which carries a pawl 85 that drives a ratchet 87on movement of the element 15 from the cooler 13 to the heater 15. Theratchet 87 is held in each position by a holding pawl 89. While notshown, a pawl operating through a linkage may be provided for advancingthe ratchet 87 when the element 15 moves from the heater 11 to thecooler 13.

The ratchet 87 is connected to a spiral spring 91 so that as it isrotated it winds the spring 91 about a fixed axis 93. The spring 91 isconnected to rotate a shaft 95 through an escapement mechanism 97 at aconstant speed. The shaft 95 is connected through speed multiplyinggearing 99 to the rotor 101 of a generator 103. Power may be derivedfrom the generator 103.

While a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosedherein, many modifications thereof are possible. This invention then isnot to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the spirit ofthe prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. Power generating apparatus including heating means, cooling means,means thermally actuable to produce mechanical movement mounted to movemechanically back and forth between a position where it is in heatexchange relationship with said heating means and a position where it isin heat-exchange relationship with said cooling means as saidthermally-actuable means is heated and cooled respectively by saidheating and cooling means whereby said thermally-actuable means producesintermittent pulses of energy of movement, mechanical-energy storagemeans, means connecting said storage means to said thermally-actuablemeans to store the energy of the movement of said thermally-actuablemeans, and escapement means connected to said storage means forconverting the energy stored in said storage means into uniformmechanical movement by gradually releasing the energy stored in saidstorage means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including an electrical generator having arotor and a stator and means connecting the escapement means to rotatesaid rotor to cause said generator to :produce electrical power.

3. Electro-power generating apparatus including heating means, coolingmeans, means thermally-actuable to produce mechanical movement mountedto move mechanically back and forth intermittently between a positionwhere it is in heat-exchange relationship with said heating means and aposition Where it is in heat-exchange relationship with said coolingmeans as it is heated and cooled respectively by said heating andcooling means, means connected to said thermally-actuable means inducingalternating electrical current on said intermittent movement of saidthermally-actuable means, electricalenergy storage means, and rectifiermeans interconnect ing said inducing means to supply direct currentderived from said alternating current to said storage means.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the thermallyactuable means issnap-acting so that the electromotive force producing the alternatingcurrent has a high amplitude.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 631,356 8/1899 Woolley.

983,742 2/1911 Mead 2901 1,383,605 7/1921 Davis 290-1 3,152,554 10/1964Kokink.

3,231,811 1/1966 Peras 32061 3,241,030 3/1966 Oster 320-61 ORIS L.RADER, Primary Examiner.

G. SIMMONS, Assistant Examiner.

